


Killing me softly

by Slytherinbarbz



Series: Hate makes us romantic [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: Dramione FanFiction Forum, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Love/Hate, Mentions of Sex, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Violence, Out of Character Draco Malfoy, Party, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Protective Draco Malfoy, Protective Harry Potter, Protective Hermione Granger, Secret Relationship, Slow Burn, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, back and forth, love hate relationship, slightly abusive, teen drinking, toxic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24371536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherinbarbz/pseuds/Slytherinbarbz
Summary: They stayed there for hours. The sun started coming up. “It’s pretty,” Hermione commented.“You’re prettier,” Draco said as he put a strand of her behind her ear.-Against everyone's expectations, Draco and Hermione start a friendship, a rocky one at that. They have to keep it a secret, especially when their friendship escalates to something... more. How are they supposed to keep up the façade of being enemies, when they can barely hide their own feelings from each other?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: Hate makes us romantic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757473
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	1. "I don't need you."

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! so this is part of a series. I suggest you read the other two stories for some context; they're quite short. This fic will be longer, though.

“What’s going on?!” Hermione screamed as she made her way through the crowd. She saw Ron’s unmistakable red hair over the tops of everyone’s heads. He had somehow gotten himself into something big enough that would garner half the fourth-years’ attention. 

Assuming this thing was most likely trouble, she braced herself to fix his problem. As annoyed as she was at his constant need to stir up drama, he was her friend and she was going to help him.

“Ferret hexed Neville!” Ron said, wand raised and pointed at the one and only Draco Malfoy.

“ _ Allegedly _ hexed, Weasel. You should watch your tongue, I can have my dad cut off.” Draco threatened. Both Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes.

“Are you going to hide behind  _ daddy _ again?” Ron mocked, while he turned his head slightly to rub it in a bit more. “You can’t do it forever. Someday you’ll have to face the  _ real _ world like a  _ big boy _ . Will you come crying back to daddy when you realize you’re not being served left and right?”

Hermione had to admit Ron did make a good point. Draco was living in a sort of delusion and he brought his father into every argument; he never had anything else to say, which very quickly became wildly annoying.

“Oh, please! You’re just mad my family can buy yours!” Draco shot back, wand also raised. 

“That’s enough!” Hermione jumped in, furious at Draco’s words. She couldn’t believe he would stoop so low. She was especially angry, because Draco was not only insulting Ron but his whole family in front of everyone. She knew how insecure Ron was about his financial situation, and that he would feel humiliated.

Draco and Hermione had been getting along better, but obviously the same couldn’t be said for him and her friends. His words disgusted Hermione; she just couldn’t believe this was the same person who gifted her a kitten after Crookshanks died. “Not everyone gets everything they want handed to them on a platter, Malfoy. Some people actually  _ work _ for what they have, and instead of looking down at them, you should respect them.” Then she turned to one of her longest friends. “And Ron, take the high road! Don’t stoop to such a level. Come on, lower your wand, and let’s go!”

Ron paused for a moment before giving in and leaving. Hermione followed right after him but shot Draco a disapproving glance first.

Draco was angry. Well he was hurt, but he took it out with anger. He had gone out of his way to be nice to Hermione, to console her when Ron wouldn’t. He couldn’t believe she would so blatantly turn on him without a second thought. He thought they were starting to become friends. Now he felt betrayed.

A week had passed since the ordeal. Hermione didn’t give the fight a second thought. It was just a normal quibble. Hermione waited for Draco in the library on Saturday for their tutoring session, but he stood her up.  _ His loss _ Hermione thought to herself at the time, but after a bit of thinking she got a little worried. Maybe he was sick? She thought he would at least tell her he wouldn’t show up since he was the one benefitting from their sessions.

Then again, maybe he was just late. So she decided to wait it out. She stayed in the library for a couple of hours. Then she had lunch with her Gryffindor friends. Thereafter she studied for a little while more before her curiosity finally got the better of her.

She stood up and made her way to the Slytherin common room. She still remembered the password. Fortunately for her, the room was empty. So was the hallway outside Draco’s room.

She softly knocked on the door. “Draco? It’s Hermione.” Nobody answered so she opened the door. Draco was laying on his bed and to Hermione’s surprise, he was reading a book.

“What ya reading?” She asked as she closed the door behind her. He ignored her, to which she rolled her eyes. “You know, it’s rude to ignore the girl who’s trying to help you pass your classes, especially since she came to check on you after you stood her up. I was worried you know. I thought maybe a troll had gotten to you. The least you could do is answer me.” This caught Draco’s attention. Was she really worried about him? But nevertheless he was still angry at her.

“You know what else is rude? Embarrassing your so-called friends in front of their whole house.” Draco sneered back at her.

“You’re mad about  _ that _ ?” She scoffed as she started looking around his room, touching his things. She didn’t notice how many classic books he had the first time she was in his room. “Get over it already, Malfoy. It’s not like you didn’t deserve it.”

“Deserve it? Hermione you just assumed  _ I _ was in the wrong.” He told her angrily. Hermione did take note of him calling her by his first name, though.

“So you didn’t hex Neville?” She asked as she picked up a book.

“It doesn’t matter if I did. You took Weasel at his word. There was no evidence!” Draco got up from his bed as he said this. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

“Draco, it's not just about that. You can’t speak to Ron that way. He’s my friend. He has literally saved my life. You insulted him and his whole family, who have taken me in multiple times. You were mean and cruel and I will not stand by that! And it’s not because I’m biased, if the roles were reversed I would’ve scowled him just the same!”  Hermione didn’t think her defending Ron would ruin their rocky friendship, but she did not regret it.

“Oh please! You would never-” Draco started, but Hermione wouldn’t let him.

“No, Draco! You listen to me. I will not apologize for being a good person. You’re just mad ‘cause I bruised your ego. Get over it! Or you can forget about passing Transfiguration.” She stated. 

Draco grabbed the book out of her hands. “I don’t need you.”

Hermione scoffed and made her way towards the door. Before she left she looked back for one more jab. “You’re a good guy, Malfoy. At least you are when we’re alone. I don’t know why you’re so scared to show others that side of you. I mean honestly, what’s the worst that will happen? The sun will still rise, the wind will still blow. You might even make some friends.”

She left him with that. Her words rang through his head for the next few days. He couldn’t even sleep. She didn’t understand why he was the way he was. He wasn’t  _ acting _ like a jackass; some twisted part of him enjoyed all the pranks he played. After all, they didn’t actually hurt anyone. And it was so easy for him. Like breathing air.

Hermione seems to think it’s all an act because of how Draco is with her, but the thing is, being nice to her is like breathing air too. Playing silly pranks, cursing her out,  _ hurting _ her, was hard. It hurt him to do it, especially now that she forgave him for all he’d done to her and is helping him with school. He couldn’t just do a 180° now. He couldn’t take it.


	2. Right or wrong?

“Watch it, Weasel!” Crabbe said as he brushed his robes off. He had bumped into Ron on his way to class.

“Blimey, are you so fat you can’t even navigate where you’re going?” Ron retorted. Hermione nudged him in his side. She didn’t think it was appropriate to tease Crabbe’s looks.

“Angry he can afford food?” Goyle chimed in. He and his buddies laughed at that. They gave each other a few fist bumps, proud of their insults.

“Think you're so clever, huh? I quite recall both of you stupidly taking floating muffins from the air and then passing out.” Hermione decided to speak up. The looks on the boys’ faces were priceless. They’d agreed never to tell anyone about that when they woke up. After all, it was quite stupid and they could’ve been poisoned. 

“Shut up, mud blood!” Goyle said, angrily.

“You’re just angry your blood’s so dirty.” One of the boys in their group shouted. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione could see Draco snickering. She had gotten used to all the insults about her blood status; it didn't hurt her anymore. But seeing Draco laugh at her did. She didn’t think his actions would have such a power over her.

Harry jumped to Hermione’s defense, of course. Ron raised his wand, so did the Slytherin boys. Hermione started to feel tears start to prickle her eyes and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a little ball. She just wanted to disappear, she couldn’t let anyone see her cry, especially no one from Slytherin.

Before anything could escalate Hermione saw professor Snape approaching. Deciding she didn’t want to be involved in the repercussions, Hermione quickly stepped away from the chaos that was about to take place.

Hermione decided she couldn’t bear the rest of the school day, so she faked a headache and went to her room.

She crawled into bed and cried for the rest of the day. Ginny came into the room they shared, but Hermione faked being asleep. She didn’t even go to dinner. Hermione hadn’t been expecting her breakdown and was completely drained. Her thoughts wouldn’t stop, so she got out of bed, grabbed her books and headed to the library. There were still a few students there, namely Ravenclaw. Hermione knew her face must’ve looked tearstained and her eyes still red from all the crying, so she went to the very back of the library behind a bookshelf. 

She thought she’d be alone there but as she turned a corner she saw platinum blonde hair. Hermione couldn’t believe her luck. She scoffed at the absurdity of all the people she could’ve ran into, but didn’t. Instead, she was now standing face to face with the one and only Draco Malfoy, the only boy that has made her cry since kindergarten.

Draco heard her scoff and looked up. They made brief eye contact before Hermione rolled hers and turned around. Draco noticed that she looked like she’d been crying for hours, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.  _ It’s because Crabbe and Goyle called her a mudblood _ he silently thought to himself. He then wondered if she cried every time someone mentioned her blood status, every time  _ he _ mentioned her blood status. Well it was less mentioning, and more degrading.

He quickly packed up his books and went after her. She was already out of the library. He figured she was on her way back to her room so he ran in that direction. He saw her frame turn a corner. “Granger, wait up!” He yelled at her, but she ignored him. Luckily for Draco, he was faster than her. He touched her shoulder. Hermione flinched to his touch.

“Leave. Me. alone.” She told him angrily.

“Why are you mad at  _ me _ . For the first time, I didn’t start anything, nor did I participate!” He defended himself. Hermione suddenly turned around and looked him dead in the eye.

“You stood there and watched! Not just that, you laughed! You patted their shoulders, congratulated them, you were practically  _ proud _ of them.”

“I didn’t mean it! You know I didn’t mean it. Besides, you did the exact same thing with Ron!” Draco refuted, anger starting to grow in him too.

“That was different and you know it! I was right-”

“In your opinion! You were right in your opinion!” Draco interrupted. Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Oh please. In no universe were  _ you _ in the right. You’re a bully. You are mean and vengeful and a piece of shit! I don’t-”

“Like you’re so perfect. Hermione you’re a know-it-all and won’t let anyone forget that you’re perfect. Hermione you point out everyone’s flaws, make everyone feel insecure, and like shit. I might be a bully, but so are you. And you know what, you’re worse because you manipulate people into thinking you’re a good person. You make it hard for anyone to hate you, or call you out on your bullying, but I see right through your little act.” As Draco finished his long speech that was fueled by anger, Hermione couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. They fell, streaming like a waterfall down her glass skin. She put her hand to her mouth, muffling her sobs.

“Screw you, jackass. I thought there was more to you than just being the school’s dick, but I guess I was wrong.” She managed to get through before stomping off, leaving Draco speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is chapter 2? What do you think? The next chapter is already done and it's my favorite. It's where the story really begins. I'm so excited to post it.  
> xxx


	3. Because it's you

The next few weeks Draco and Hermione didn’t speak, they didn’t greet each other in the halls, or even acknowledge each other’s existence in class. There were some shoves in the hallways coming from Draco’s side, and some snide remarks from Hermione. They gave each other the impression that they hated each other.

Draco was angry at Hermione. He wouldn’t have reacted this way if it were someone else. If it were someone else, he would’ve done a hell of a lot worse than a few soft shoves and weak insults. He would send his clan of loyal friends to make that person’s life a living hell. And he wouldn’t have felt like this. He couldn’t get their showdown out of his mind. He thought of it every single waking moment of his life, even dreamt about a couple of times. He couldn’t get it or Hermione out of his mind.

Hermione faced the same problem. What Draco said to her echoed in her head. Maybe she was a bully? She never thought she might’ve hurt anyone. On the other hand, it’s not like she’s just naturally smart. She puts a lot of time and effort into her schoolwork. Her grades aren’t just handed to her. She’s sacrificed a social life for her status as a know-it-all. So she decided Draco was wrong. It’s not like she openly called anyone stupid, other people just got jealous of her knowledge. Hermione knew it sounded conceited, but she was never wrong.

There was only a month of school left until it was summer break, which meant Hermione would have a break from Draco and his constant taunting. She wasn’t really one to care about what others had to say about her, but this time it was different for some reason. And she did not like it.

Hermione was practically counting down the days until she was rid of Malfoy, but couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him during meals. He caught her eye once or twice as well, glaring right back at her.

However this particular dinner was different. Hermione watched Draco and his little minion's talk, scheme, for almost half the meal. They then suspiciously got up and left the hall. Hermione lost her appetite as she was consumed with curiosity. She excused herself from the table, telling her friends she was tired and went after the Slytherin boys.

As she roamed around the building, she thought she had lost them. She was just about to turn around and head for the common room when she heard a noise coming from one of the classrooms. Intrigued, she followed the sound.

“Can you be a little quieter? There’s no point in this if we get caught.” She heard a voice that was unmistakably Draco’s.  _ What are they up to? _

“I’m trying! But it’s not like the test is just lying around!” Crabbe answered back.  _ Test? My, are they trying to steal a test? _ Hermione knew she had to stop whatever was going on there.

“What are you guys doing!” She exclaimed as she made her presence known.

“Piss off, mudblud!” Goyle ordered as he continued to sift through papers and supplies.

“Real mature. I suggest you stop whatever you’re doing before I-” Hermione started to threaten, but was cut off by Crabbe.

“Before you what?” He pointed his wand at her. “I suggest  _ you _ start minding your own business before I make you throw up slugs for a week!” 

Hermione knew she could easily take all three boys and that his threat was empty, so she rolled her eyes. She shot Draco a quick glance and mentally scoffed that he condoned this behaviour.

“Oh, please.” Hermione raised her wand at him too. “I don’t think you should be making any threats here. You can barely hold your wand properly, let alone hex me correctly.”

Crabbe was about to retort before his eyes widened and his hand dropped. The other two boys also stopped dead in their tracks. Hermione smirked, thinking she had won, before hearing a voice behind her.

“What the hell is going on here!” Severus Snape bellowed. “All of you. My office. Now!” He ordered.

As they were walking to his office, Snape was muttering about how much he hated kids. Draco quickly took this opportunity to grab Hermione’s arm and pull her closer to him as he whispered in her ear. “Hermione, I’m sorry for everything I said and how I’ve been acting. I couldn’t pass without you so I needed that test. We’re friends, you know we are. We just had a little fight. Please, be my friend, and don’t say anything.”

Hermione considered it for a brief moment before deciding it was just Draco Malfoy trying to cover his ass. They weren’t friends, and he wasn’t sorry. She was mad he thought she was naive enough to believe him.

“Granger, explain!” Snaped said angrily, as they sat down in his office.

Hermione hesitated a second when Draco shot her a pleading glance, but brushed it off before telling Snape everything. After she was finished, the boys held their heads down in fear of what was to come next. But Snape’s next words were a surprise to everyone.

“Miss Granger, you were on your way to the Gryffindor common room, yes?” Hermione furrowed her brows before hesitantly replying.

“Yes, sir.”

“Isn’t the Gryffindor common room in the opposite way from the Transfiguration classroom.” He accusingly asked her. Hermione looked down in shame. “50 points from Gryffindor.” Before Hermione could protest, Snape stopped her. “Be grateful you weren’t given detention for lying to your teacher and snooping around school. Now off you go.”

Hermione decided to swallow her pride and made her way out of the classroom. 

Snape, being Draco’s godfather, excused Draco seconds after excusing Hermione, taking only 10 points from Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle still had to endure a long talk and ended up getting a week's worth of detention.

“Granger! What the fuck was that?” Draco angrily screamed at her as he grabbed her arm. 

“Oh you mean telling the truth?” Hermione tried to wiggle out of his grip but couldn’t; it was too firm.

“You were supposed to be on my side. After all, it’s your fault we did that.”

“My fault?! Draco ever heard of studying, of trying your best, of paying attention in class? I didn’t make you break the rules or try to cheat. Stop blaming others for your shortcomings.” She retorted back to him.  _ The audacity that boy has _ she thought to herself.

The way Hermione spoke to him angered Draco. Before he knew it he started losing his temper and pushed her against the wall, hard. Hermione yelped in surprise. Suddenly, fear started taking over her. Draco shoved her with his full body weight and held her there, helplessly pinned to the wall. He towered over her, glaring down at her while she looked up in fear. She felt tears start to form, but refused to let them fall. “Draco,” She whispered, feeling ever so small. “You’re hurting me.” He didn’t budge.

They kept staring at each other for a little while longer, neither daring to move. Hermione felt his breath starting to even out, but hers only became heavier. Her heart was racing. “Why do you even care? You didn’t even get in trouble.” She warily started.

In the moment, Draco finally spoke. He leaned down slightly. “Because it’s you.” Draco whispered in her ear. Hermione could hear his breath now. For a brief moment she thought he might’ve even kissed her, but he abruptly let her go and walked away, leaving a very stunned Hermione standing in the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to schedule out the chapters and when I was going to post them, but I really don't have the patience. I've written about 5 chapters by now all in one go, and I just can't sit on them lol.  
> Stay inside and healthy everyone.  
> Thanks for reading.  
> xxx


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where it happens!!

It was almost 1 AM and Hermione was still lying wide awake in her bed. She couldn’t believe the events that had occurred only hours prior. She shifted and felt a pain in her shoulder where Draco had shoved her against the stone wall. She then rubbed her wrists where Draco had held her tight, not allowing her to move.

She couldn’t get her mind off it. She didn’t know what to do, but she knew she couldn’t bear to lie another minute in bed. She jumped out and carefully walked over to the bathroom she shared with Ginny. There she switched on her lights and examined herself.

Her wrists had purple bruises circling them. Hermione pulled down her shirt enough to see the back of her shoulder. She gasped at the sight. There was a huge gnarly bruise that continued down her back. It was a deep shade of purple that looked almost black. Granted, it hurt less than how it looked; Hermione had always had a high pain tolerance, but she didn’t expect Draco to be able to hurt her like that.

A few tears dropped before she wiped them away and decided to go to the astronomy tower, which she often frequented when she needed to clear her head. To her surprise someone was already there when she arrived.  _ Lumos _ she whispered, alerting the figure in front of her who abruptly turned around, apparently also not expecting anyone.

“Granger?” Just her luck. Why did Malfoy always show up when he was wanted least. Draco noticed the bruises around her wrist that were illuminated by her wand. “Blimey, Hermione. Did I do that?” He asked softly as he approached her. Hermione took a step back with a wary look on her face.

“Don’t come near me.” She warned him.

“I’m sorry. I lost my temper. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Let me help. My mother is a healer, you know. She’s taught me a few spells.” Draco explained. Hermione sensed he was being genuine, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of her trust.

“Why would you want to help me?” She asked angrily.

“Because I regret it. If I could take it all back I would.”

Hermione didn’t reply. Instead, she just sat down, back against the ledge. She flinched when her shoulder touched the stone. Draco noticed and his worry plastered along his face. He hurt her worse than he had thought. Hermione signaled with a nod for Draco to sit down next to her. He complied.

“Can I see your shoulder?” Draco asked her after a moment of silence. Hermione turned her head towards him. She looked him in his eyes before furrowing her brows.

“You really want to see what you did?” She wasn’t really asking. She turned her back to him and pulled her hair to one side. Draco carefully pulled her loose T-shirt down. The guilt and shame he felt as he traced his fingers over the bruise were immeasurable. The tips of his fingers barely touched her skin; he was careful as if one slip of the finger would break her, like a porcelain doll.

He slowly brought his lips to her shoulder and ever so gently placed a kiss on the dark bruise. Hermione didn’t flinch this time. Instead, she held her breath. Draco brought his mouth to her ear and whispered. “I’m sorry, ‘Mione. I’m so so sorry.” 

The act sent shivers up her spine. She started pulling up her sleeve, but Draco placed his hand on hers before she could. Her body relaxed and he took this opportunity to raise his wand and cast a healing spell. He then pulled up her sleeve and turned her around to face him again. He took her hands into his palms faced up. He brought both wrists to his lips and kissed them too. “I’m sorry.” He whispered in between kisses. Draco cast the same spell on them.

Hermione was about to thank him but was too stunned by him putting his hand against her cheek; his other followed suit. He placed their foreheads together. Hermione’s head leaned into his palm and she put her hand on top of his. 

“Draco-” Hermione started but was cut off by Draco pulling her into a kiss. Hard. She couldn’t help but kiss back. Passionately. Hermione told herself it was just a lapse in judgment when she pulled away. Her surprised look on her face turned into a glare. “No.” 

She muttered as she started standing up. Draco softly grabbed her arm, wanting her to stop. She roughly pulled away. “No! You don’t get to do this. You can’t just hurt me and then kiss me and expect me to just, what? Fall in line? What the actual fuck?!”

“Hermione. Stay.” Draco pleaded. Hermione stood there debating what to do. She decided that hating him was too tiring. She sat back down next to him. After a while, he took off his jacket and draped it over Hermione’s shoulders. Then he pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around the Gryffindor princess, taking in her scent. Hermione let him do this. She melted into him like they were chocolate out in the sun.

They stayed there for hours. The sun started coming up. “It’s pretty.” Hermione commented.

“You’re prettier.” Draco said as he put a strand of her behind her ear. He expected her to smile at his compliment, but she snorted instead. She proceeded to shrug off Draco’s jacket. “What?”

“You’re full of shit, Malfoy.” With that Hermione walked away, leaving a stunned Draco behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited about this chapter. What did you all think?  
> thank you for reading!  
> xxx


	5. Where it starts

Hermione was sitting at the back of the library again. She was lost in her thoughts; didn’t even notice Draco Malfoy slipping into the seat next to her.

“Leave, Malfoy.” Hermione sighed.

“Oh, come on. Don’t play hard to get.” He teased.

“This isn’t hard to get, it’s self-respect.” Draco didn’t reply to this. He just stared at her. “Stop staring and let me study in peace!”

“As you wish, princess.” Draco snarked sarcastically before he left.

After the encounter Hermione couldn’t focus anymore. She cursed Draco for it. He played with her emotions. He had two faces and could never decide which one he wanted to wear. Hermione couldn’t afford to play his games. She had to concentrate on her school work, and not have her mind clouded by Draco and his ulterior motives.

Hermione decided to continue studying in the common room, to get rid of the stain Draco left behind on her favorite spot in the library. There she saw her two best friends already sitting on the couch. She plopped down next to Harry.

“You’re both a sight for sore eyes.” She muttered as she pulled a book out of her bag.

“Why? What happened.” Ron asked, concerned.

“Oh nothing. What were you talking about?” Hermione quickly changed the subject.

The two boys shot each other a look. “Do you promise not to get your knickers in a twist?” Ron asked. 

“Ron!” Hermione shoved him. “Just tell me.”

“Hermione, just so you know we were just talking about it. No plans-” Harry started.

“Oh just tell me already!” Hermione exclaimed, starting to grow annoyed.

“You know how unicorn blood keeps people alive? Well, I thought, what if there was some way to make a potion out of it that will let people  _ stay _ alive, or like be brought back to life.” Ron said.

“By people he means me, in case Voldemort ever gets to me again.” Harry added.

“Okay say it was possible, which it’s not; someone would’ve thought of it already if it was, but for the sake of conversation, say it was. How would you get unicorn blood without hurting the poor animals?” Hermione asked calmly, already knowing the answer. Her two best friends, who she thought were good, were nice, were compassionate, were discussing  _ killing _ a helpless animal for an experiment. “You are shameless. The both of you. I can’t believe you would even consider killing a unicorn for your own gain. How does that make you any better than Voldemort?”

“I told you we shouldn’t have told her!” Ron exclaimed to Harry.

“We needed to know if it were possible!” Harry exclaimed back.

“No! You selfish dimwits! Murder is what we’re trying to avoid here! Are you-” Hermione was about to go on a rant again before Ron interrupted.

“Hermione we weren’t going to do it! We were just thinking! Besides don’t you think the life of one unicorn would be worth it if it saved the life of thousands of wizards-” 

“No, I do not! I would never value my life above others, human or not. It’s disgusting you would even think about it!” With that, Hermione stormed off to her room where she further fumed at the two boys.

She was pacing across the room muttering insults at the boys when Ginny interrupted.

“What’s wrong?” Ginny asked

“Your stupid brother's twisted mind.” Hermione exclaimed.

“What has he done this time?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Hermione brushed it off. She was so angry and needed to take it out on something. “Hey, Gin. I need you to do me a favor.”

“Sure, what do you need?” Ginny asked as she jumped on her bed.

“Can you cover for me? I need to go somewhere tonight.” As Hermione said this Ginny burst out laughing.

“‘Mione why are you asking me this now? Did you think I didn’t notice you’ve been staying out all night lately?” Before Hermione could say anything Ginny spoke over her. “Relax, I haven’t said anything so far. Why would I now? I won’t pry for details, it’s your business, but tell me one thing, is it a boy?”

Hermione considered telling Ginny. She knew she could keep a secret, but decided against it since she wasn’t even sure there was going to be more to tell. She was going to find out tonight, though. “No, it’s a project. For school. Kind of.”

“Dark magic?” Ginny asked.

“You said you wouldn’t pry.” Hermione exclaimed. She knew that if she didn’t outright deny it, Ginny would think she was right. It would stop any future questions. Ginny didn’t care about dark magic, but she would sure care about a boy in Hermione’s life.

Hermione waited until curfew, to make sure no one would be in the Slytherin common room. She didn’t really know why she was even headed there. She told herself it was just to talk, but if it was really just that she wouldn’t have lied to Ginny, she wouldn’t have waited ‘til everyone fell asleep, and she wouldn’t have been so nervous.

Hermione was standing outside of Draco’s room, her arms raised, fist balled, about to knock. She stood there for god knows how long, but she just couldn’t bring herself to knock. She wondered if there was anyone else in the room. Draco didn’t have a roommate. Sure, there used to be an extra bed in there and there’s more than enough room for a roommate, but his father made sure he’d have the luxury of full privacy.

She finally mustered up the courage and brought her fist down to the door. She softly knocked three times. The door didn’t open.

She cursed herself for being so stupid and was about to walk away in shame before the door opened and standing there was a shirtless Draco. His hair was a mess and he rubbed his eyes.

“Granger? What are you doing here?” 

“It’s rude not to invite me in.” She stated with a smirk, quoting what he once said to her. He opened the door to her, letting her in.

“Are you here to teach me etiquette, or is there something else?” Draco teased.

“I don’t know, is there something else?” Hermione asked. Draco just shot her a confused glance. “Why did you heal me? Why did you kiss me? Why- why do you do anything?”

“Hermione,” Draco took a step towards Hermione, closing the gap between the two. He brushed his thumb against her cheek. “You’re breathtaking.” He whispered. His hand wrapped lightly around the nape of Hermione’s neck.

“I- I don’t want this.” Hermione managed to stutter out, taking a step back. “I have so much on my mind already. I don’t need a boy to cause more problems. Not to mention what everyone else will say and-”

“Nobody needs to know.” Draco took a step forward. “Why are you here?”

“I- I was angry. At Ron. and I guess at you too and I just needed to-”

“Take it out on someone?” Draco leaned down and started placing small, soft kisses on her neck. Hermione’s breath started to get heavier. She put her hands on his shoulders, and was going to push him away but stopped herself.

“Don’t think this means I like you. I hate you.” She told Draco.

“I can live with that.” He said before picking her up and throwing her on his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt so weird writing the fluff lmao. I just kept thinking about what the people in my life would say if they knew I was writing fluff, so if you're expecting smut I'm sorry to disappoint lol.  
> Thanks for reading, all!  
> xxx


	6. His short

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Nice shirt.” He commented.
> 
> “Thanks, it’s vintage.” She replied with a smirk.

Draco woke up to the sound of Hermione shifting through his stuff, looking for her clothes while only in her lingerie. She couldn’t find her shirt, so she took the next best thing, Draco’s.

“What a sight to wake up to.” Draco commented with a smile, making his conscious known.

“Don’t be coy.” Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Come back to bed, sleep in.” Draco begged as he rolled over, making space for her.

“I have to pack, and we don’t cuddle.” Hermione reminded sternly. A few weeks ago they decided on a… unique friendship. It was Hermione who insisted they kept their arrangement a secret, and platonic. It was just about relieving each other's stress. No strings attached.

“I’ll have Dobby pack for you. Come on, I won’t see you for another 3 months!” Draco pouted. Today was their last day at school. They were going to leave in a couple hours. Hermione thought about it for one second, before hardening her face and pulling her pants up.

“No strings attached, remember?” She put on her shoes and started heading for the door. “See you next year, Malfoy.”

As the door closed behind her, Draco groaned. Surprisingly, Hermione was the one who was cold and distant. The only reason she even stayed the night was because Draco begged her since he wasn’t going to see her for a while. Usually she was out the door the moment they were done.

Draco was, and always has been, a flirt. That didn’t change when he and Hermione started screwing, but he did enjoy it a lot more with her than others. He meant it with Hermione, and he didn’t hide it. But Hermione didn’t believe it; she thought it was all just an act, and she was not going to fall for it.

Hermione entered her room, which was a mess.

“‘Mione, will you finally tell who you’ve been shagging?” Ginny asked. She was currently sitting on her suitcase trying to close it. Hermione pulled out her wand and silently closed it for her. “Thanks! But stop beating around the bush and tell me.”

“No one, Gin.” Hermione brushed it off.

“Hermione, I’m not stupid. I believed your ‘dark magic’ excuse for the first few times, but then you start showing up with messy hair, loose ties, shirt buttoned wrong. Just tell me.”

“Ginny, let it go.” Hermione replied, silencing Ginny with her stern tone. She pulled out her suitcase and started packing. She had a neat organizing system, of course. All her clothes had been folded neatly. She was about to close her case before looking at her checklist one more time. She frowned, one of her shirts was missing.

Anyone else would mock her for listing every piece of clothing she owned, but she didn’t care. She knew it was probably still in Draco’s room and that he probably hid it from her to tease her. She smiled to herself while slightly shaking her head.

She remembered she was still wearing his shirt and decided to keep it on, knowing he’d be watching her while they waited for the train.

She was correct. Hermione stood holding her suitcase in front of the train rails. Draco came and stood next to her, silently taking her suitcase from her, like the gentleman his mother raised him to be. It made Hermione grin.

“Nice shirt.” He commented.

“Thanks, it’s vintage.” She replied with a smirk.

“Expensive too, probably.” He looked behind his shoulder, checking that nobody was watching them. “Much more than this old drab.” He pulled out a shirt from his bag. Her shirt. Hermione swiftly grabbed it out of his hands and stuffed it in the front pocket of her suitcase.

“Dick.” She cursed him.

“You know you love it.” He retorted, earning a small chuckle from the girl standing next to him. “You could visit, you know. I can’t be seen going into the muggle world, but you could come to the manor.”

“We are not a couple.” Hermione once again reminded him. She wasn’t in the mood for his games, and she didn’t have the time for a boyfriend anyways.

“I’ll put your name in the registry. You’ll have access if you change you mind.” Before Hermione could tell him not to bother, the train arrived. Draco gave her back her suitcase and was about to step foot in the train before turning back one last time. “Have a nice summer, Granger.” He winked at her, sending the butterflies in her stomach up in a whirl.

Hermione sat with Ron and Harry in the train, but her mind was elsewhere for the rest of the ride back to the station. She hugged her friends goodbye when they arrived and made her way to her parents. She cautiously looked around, but didn’t get to catch Malfoy before she said goodbye to the Wizarding World for the summer.

In the car her parents asked her about her friends, school and the ins and outs of magic. She eagerly answered all their questions.

“Any boys I should threaten?” Her father asked.

“Dad! Gross, no.” Hermione said as her face started heating up. Her mother laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry honey. He’s just teasing.”

They started pulling into the all too familiar street. Nostalgia flooded Hermione. In this street she first rode her bike, she saw the owl that brought her her letter, had her first kiss. She smiled at all the warm memories. She loved Hogwarts, she truly did, but this was home.

Her dad pulled into their driveway and parked the car. They got out and walked over to the door. Hermione was startled when she walked in.

“Surprise!” A couple of Hermione’s friends popped out from behind furniture. Her heart warmed from the inside and she just stood there in shock, mouth gaping open.

“What? Have you forgotten our names?” One of them teased. Kate.

“Of course not! How could I?” Hermione pulled Kate into a hug, her other friends joined in.

“We’ll give you all some privacy. There’s food and drinks in the fridge. Have fun!” Hermione’s mom said as she pulled her husband upstairs and into their room.

Hermione looked at the people in the room. It was filled with some of her closest friends. Kate, her next door neighbour. Their mothers were the best of friends long before either of them were born. Naturally, they became best friends too. They grew up together, were raised together, practically lived together. 

Kate was always there for Hermione. The first time Hermione ever had a drink, Kate was right there drinking with her. Surprisingly, Kate was the responsible one of the two. She was the one who held back Hermione’s hair while she was throwing up after a night of drinking. She was the one who made sure Hermione didn’t go home with random strangers. She was the one who kept her in check.

Then there was Jason. Hermione met him in kindergarten. They clicked instantly and have been (almost) inseparable ever since. When they were 10 they shared their first kiss, and later he was her first once more. 

Hermione and Jason were complicated. They could’ve been a great power couple had Hermione not gone to Hogwarts. They only saw each other in the summers, but they had fun every time. 

Lastly, the twins, Abby and Matt. Hermione met them in the park a couple summers ago. She didn’t have a history with them, like she had with Jason and Kate, but they were still her best friends. It especially helped that Matt was a drug dealing son-of-a-bitch, in Jason's own words.

“So, ‘Mione, tell us about that fancy school of yours.” Kate asked.

“Yeah, are the boys rich and cute? Or does being rich make them cute?” Abby pried.

“I think the boys back home are cuter.” Hermione said as she shot Jason a look.

“What’s it like there? Do you have to share a room?” Matt asked.

Hermione spent the next couple of hours telling them everything. Well, not everything. She left out the magic, of course. But there was more than enough to tell them. She told them about Ginny and her two best friends, Harry and Ron. She told them about her status as ‘Golden girl’, which they were shocked about of course. They always only saw her as the fun party girl, who popped pills like it was no tomorrow.

“There’s more to life than just drugs and alcohol.” Hermione stated. 

“Oh please. That’s rich coming from you.” Jason snorted.

“It’s true. I have hopes and aspirations. I’m an uptight know-it-all year round, and then I let loose when I’m with you in the summers.”

“Well let’s let loose then.” Matt said with a cheeky smile as he pulled out a small ziplock bag with a dried, green plant in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll be seeing more of drunk Hermione in the next few chapters, while she's visiting home. As always, reviews and comments are highly appreciated.   
> Thanks for reading,  
> xxx


	7. Letters

_ Dear Harry, _

_ I miss you, obviously. If you have any spare time this summer, you’re always welcome at my place. I know how you captors can be. If it gets too much, well, you know where to find me. Even if it’s just for a friendly visit my house is open to you; I’ve told my parents so much about you, you’re practically family by now. _

_ Speaking of my parents, they’re going on a trip this week! And they’re not even taking me. I know my problems pale in comparison to yours, but I just missed them so much and they’re leaving. But I guess it’s chill that I have the house to myself for a week. _

_ How have you been Harry? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Or Ron for that matter but I didn’t really expect much from him. Are you okay? If they ever take it too far I’m just a call away. Don’t ever hesitate to call, Harry. _

_ You know how I worry, please write back to me soon. _

_ Yours always, _

_ Hermione Granger. _

  
  
  


_ Hello Hermione, _

_ I’m sorry I haven’t written. Please don’t worry about me, I’m fine. And a wizard if you’ve forgotten. The Dursleys haven’t been too bad. I think they’re scared of me. And we’re in the same boat! They’re going on a trip to Greece, leaving me behind. At least I won’t be bored, they left a list of errands for me, but they give me an excuse to go out into the city for a little while. Maybe we could meet up then? _

_ I’ll have to wait until they leave to call you. We can figure out the details then. I’m not really allowed to have contact with anyone, by owl or phone. They monitor me closely. Believe me, I would write to you every day if I could. _

_ I’m sorry Ron hasn’t written to you. He can be a dick sometimes. I’ll tell him to knock it off the next time I get a chance to write him. _

_ Hope to see you soon! _

_ Harry. _

“Harry!” Hermione shouted as she saw his head in a crowd of people in central London. She ran up to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

“‘Mione, it’s so good to see you.” Harry said as he returned the hug.

“Your hair!” Hermione pulled away and scrunched her nose. “Let’s get you a haircut. And a new shirt while we’re at it.”

“I can’t-”

“Oh stop. Give me that list of yours. If we work through it together we’ll have time left over to fix your appearance,” Before Harry could protest Hermione continued. “My treat! My parents gave me more money than I need for this week. I don’t mind, honestly.”

“Thank you, ‘Mione.” Harry said softly.

They finished the errands, that would have taken Harry the whole day, in just an hour. Then Hermione took him to the hairdressers and then went shopping. Hermione liked spoiling her friends; she liked making them happy. And after all that Harry’s been through and has to endure, she loved doing it.

“Maybe we have some time to go to Diagon Alley.” Hermione suggested. “We could even run into friends.”

“Yes, I’d love that!” Harry exclaimed.

They set out for Diagon Alley. The first store they went to was Honeydukes. Hermione got them chocolate frogs. They walked around for a little bit eating them. It was nice to be back in the wizarding world for the day, a breath of fresh air.

“Potter, is that really you?” A familiar voice appeared behind them. “Granger, you too?” It was Blaise. He pulled them both into a brief group hug.

“Zabini! You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Hermione exclaimed.

“Of all people, I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I’d think you would want to enjoy the few months back in the muggle world.” Blaise told them. “Let’s go catch up during lunch. I’m starving, My treat. Well not mine, but my mom’s 7th divorce.” He joked, making Hermione and Harry burst out laughing.

They spent hours talking and joking around with each other and catching up. Blaise told them all about his new step siblings and step father. He spilled the beans about a few of their school mates. Like Pansy Parkison’s father got arrested and Astoria Greengrass got caught with drugs.

They gossiped like giddy high school girls, until it started getting dark. The group parted ways after hugging each other goodbye. Hermione went home with a euphoric feeling and a smile on her face. She loved being home and away for magic for a little bit, but she did miss her friends.

When Hermione got home she quickly changed into sweatpants and a hoodie. Then she put a pizza in the oven and waited for it to be done. It was late already so imagine her surprise when she heard the doorbell ring. It was Kate, who was standing in the door frame with icecream and a dvd.

“Are you down for a sleepover?”

Together they watched all the Star Wars movies. Jason and Matt had been talking about the movie series since forever and now Hermione finally got to see what all the hype was about. Then they gossiped, played games and ate a ton of food. It was the teenage normalcy Hermione had been craving for a while. She felt like she’d been holding her breath for a year and now finally got to breathe again.

“Hermione, how long are your parents gone for again?” Kate asked her when they were about to turn in for the night.

“A week, why?” 

“Well how about we throw a party.” Kate suggested.

“Absolutely not!” Hermione propped up on her pillow. “If my parents ever found out-”

“They won't, I promise. We’ll keep it small; just a few people.” Kate pleaded.

Hermione thought for a minute and decided. “Fine, but just a few people.” 


	8. inevitable

When Kate said small, she was lying. In hindsight Hermione should’ve known it was going to be big, but she let her guard down. She didn’t even know most of the people at the party, but that didn’t stop her from doing shots with just about everyone there. She wanted to let loose and relax, she was doing exactly that. The next morning she was going to hate herself regardless, might as well have fun now.

“Hermione!” Abby ran up to her, slightly wobbling. “There’s a guy at the door asking for you.” Hermione’s not-so-sober mind immediately thought it was the police. She lived in a suburban area where parties weren’t that common. 

Hermione was buzzed and felt a fog surrounding her; it was still early in the night, but she already wasn’t seeing straight. With all her power she tried to walk in a straight line towards the door, but failed as she stumbled over the crowd.

“Granger?” She heard a familiar voice coming from a frame in the distance, but she couldn’t place who it was.

“Who’s asking?” She stuttered out.

“You weren’t kidding about the drinking, huh?” She got closer to the figure and realized it was the infamous Draco Malfoy.

“Oh, please. You like me best when I’m not sober. Makes it easier to get in my pants” Hermione wouldn’t have said that if she were sober, especially around so many people. It garnered attention from Jason who jealously looked her way. “What are you doing here?”

“Blaise said your parents weren’t home.” Draco explained, to which Hermione snorted.

“Not hiding your intentions, huh?” She tripped and fell into his arms. He caught her of course. Hermione steadied her on his strong forearms, but instead of letting go, she pulled him into a hug. “Wanna meet my friends?” She whispered softly.

“Lead the way.” And so she did, with the help of Draco of course. She would’ve fallen without him.

“Guys! This is Draco, he’s a friend from school.” Hermione said as she sat on the couch, surrounded by her closest friends.

“Friend? You tell me you hate me on a daily basis.” Draco retorted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ”Friend, rival. It’s all the same when I’m drunk.”

“I’m Kate.” Kate stuck out her hand for him to shake. “The best friend. The one who’s never heard about anyone from this fancy school Hermione goes to. I was starting to think she was a loner.”

“I’m Abby!” Abby said to him from the couch as she waved. She waited for the boys to say something, but they didn’t. She rolled her eyes and introduced them to Draco. “That’s my asshole brother Matt. We keep him around for the drugs.” Mark tilted his beer glass as a hello. “And that’s Jason. He’s the eye candy.” Jason didn’t move or greet Draco; he just stared at him, analyzing his attire and body language. 

Hermione was always secretive about her school and the people in it. Now this guy casually shows up, who Jason’s never heard about, and strolls into her home like it’s normal. They’re comfortable with each other, like old friends. Like  _ he _ was the one who grew up with her.

The way they looked at one another was like they were comforted by each other's presence and were in on some secret. They had undeniable chemistry. The air around them was like water, swaying them together. Jason could see it, and it made him jealous.

“What’s with your hair?” Jason snarked. Even in her drunken state Hermione knew how defensive Draco could get, so she quickly intervened and made the situation lighter. 

“I think it’s charming.” She ruffled Draco’s hair making it messy, who in turn furrowed his brow and playfully swatted her hand away. Hermione didn’t miss the grunt he threw at her. “Oh please, you always give me the messiest head. Time I return the favour.” 

Hermione’s muggle friends shot each other a look at Hermione’s accidental confession. Kate’s mouth dropped slightly. She felt betrayed that her best friend didn’t tell her about her ventures. Abby and Matt were surprised Hermione had been with someone other than Jason. Although they were never exclusive, and Jason had his fair share of one night stands that weren’t a secret, they were like a power couple. Never fought, never jealous, always there for each other.

That’s exactly what Jason had in mind when his jealousy intensified after the reveal. He was a possessive guy and a jealous guy, but never outed it before, because there was nothing to be jealous about. Hermione was  _ his _ . Eventually he had planned to stop his one night adventures and settle down with her. Everyone thought that was the plan. He wasn’t about to let some bloke who walked in off the street to ruin that.

“So,” Kate said, breaking the tension. She could confront Hermione at a different time. “What brings you to this side of town? I mean, I just imagine someone who wears shoes like that,” She pointed at Draco’s feet with her eyes. He was wearing an obviously expensive pair of shoes made of dragon leather with golden eyelets. “Wouldn’t come over to an average house in an average neighbourhood for nothing.” Kate hinted suggestively.

Jason snorted. “I can hear the privilege dripping in your voice.  _ This _ place isn’t average. You’re rich, Kate. So is Hermione. This git is just richer than rich.” 

“Someone seems angry.” Draco commented.  _ Or jealous _ he thought to himself.

“Mate, you don’t know-” Jason started riling up, but Abby jumped in before an altercation could happen.

“Let’s play a game! Any suggestions for drinking games?”

“I’d think you would be too traumatized to play anymore drinking games, Granger. Well, not after what happened last time.” Draco teased Hermione who blushed with embarrassment. This statement caught the attention of Matt however, being the gossip loving plug that he is.

“What happened last time?” Matt propped himself up on the chair he was sitting on.

“You said you didn’t drink during school.” Abby chimed in.

“It was nothing! And it was just one night, one brief lapse in judgement.” Hermione defensively exclaimed as she grabbed the bottle of expensive scotch that was on the coffee table and took a big gulp, taking down the shame she felt that night with her.

“Must’ve been pretty bad if you’re drinking  _ scotch _ .” Kate teased. “Come on, Draco. Tell us what happened.”

Draco looked at Hermione who had pleading eyes, and decided to spare her the embarrassment. “How about you tell me about all the much more embarrassing things I’m guessing she’s done at home?

This sparked a whole new topic. Hermione didn’t know if she should’ve thanked Draco or curse him. All her dirty laundry was out in the open to Draco. She had fought so hard to keep her muggle life separate from the wizarding world; to keep her drunk alter ego separate from her over-achieving Golden Girl status. Now in one night all her muggle secrets have been outed to Draco Malfoy, her former arch nemesis.

Of all the people who could’ve heard about her adventurous summers, a younger Hermione would  _ die _ if it were Malfoy. But now, she wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. She knew she could trust him.

After a while of being tormented in front of all her friends, Hermione grew tired. “Guys, I’m completely worn out. Can someone kick everyone out?”

“I got you, ‘Mia.” Jason jumped at the chance to please her. He thought it would subtly show her that he was the better man. He quickly whipped up some ruse about the cops coming. It sent most people on their way in a rush.

It took Hermione all the energy her body had to push herself upright on the couch. Warily, she stood up, but her knees were too weak. She stumbled straight into Draco’s arms, who wrapped them strongly around her.

The sudden rise caused Hermione to feel dizzy as nausea sparked in her head. “Oh god…” She tiredly mumbled into Draco’s chest. She wiggled out of Draco’s arms and stumbled into the bathroom. She dropped to her knees and could barely keep her puke in long enough to lift up the toilet seat.

Hermione started to regret all the drinks she had that night. She was filled with so much drunken emotion. She started sobbing while vomiting. She didn’t even notice Draco come into the room until he started laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” She grumbled. He kneeled down beside her and pulled back her hair. He softly kissed the top of her head. He waited while she finished puking out all of the drinks she had, and even her breakfast.

“Let’s get you to bed, Granger.” He said when she finished. She was shaking and her face was stained with tears. Draco wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb and cupped her cheek.  _ Even with retch on her face and tears in her eyes, she's breathtaking _ he thought to himself before getting up and picking her up in bridal style. Hermione didn’t protest. Instead she nuzzled her head in his chest and took in his cologne.

Draco set her down on her bed. He opened one of her drawers and pulled out a fresh shirt. He pulled her old one, the one covered in her puke, over her head and threw it to the side.

Draco then put the new one on her. He pulled the sheets of her bed to the side, placed her there and tucked her in. 

His mannerism was caring and gentle. Hermione would have fallen in love right there, if she were conscious enough to notice his careful demeanor. She fell asleep almost right away. Draco pulled up a chair next to her bed. He couldn’t go back to the manor at this time of night, especially not reeking of alcohol. His mother would have his head.

He decided to stay over, hoping Hermione didn’t mind. Besides she would probably want someone to take care of her hangover in the morning

Around 5 AM Hermione stirred awake. Her eyes fluttered open to see Draco Malfoy sitting in front of her, snoring slightly. Even though her head hurt and nausea was overtaking her, she managed to smile at the sight. She was still a bit buzzed and decided to softly shake his hand, waking him up.

“Malfoy, get in here,” She shifted to the other side of her bed, creating a space for Draco. She patted the mattress gesturing to what she meant. “Your neck will stiff up if you sleep on a chair.”

Draco got in next to her without protest. He pulled her small body closer to his. His nose was in her hair. It smelled like vanilla and strawberries. Hermione usually wasn’t one to spoon, but in the moment she decided to snuggle into him.

They quickly fell asleep in each other's arms. When Hermione woke up the next morning, she didn’t groan with shame like she usually did when she awoke next to the Slytherin prince. She decided there was no point in fighting the inevitable.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first chapter. I've already written until chapter 4, but I always appreciate any requests or ideas. I also love reading comments!  
> Thank you for reading all.  
> xxxx


End file.
